Senate seeks DOD ban on Kaspersky software

The Senate has proposed banning the military from using Kaspersky Lab's cybersecurity software due to potential Russian government influence.

The Senate Armed Services Committee put the ban provision in a draft of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2018, saying there had been reports that the Moscow-based company "might be vulnerable to Russian government influence."

On Tuesday, FBI agents questioned at least a dozen Kaspersky employees, saying they wanted to learn how the company functions. Federal government officials have repeatedly raised similar concerns throughout the year. In May, U.S. intelligence officials said they would not use Kaspersky software. In April, the Senate Intelligence Committee expressed its unease in a secret memorandum about the company.

In February, the Department of Homeland Security raised its own concerns in a confidential report.

Kaspersky said in a statement that it and its founder, Eugene Kaspersky, are not connected to the Russian government.

"The company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with any cyber espionage efforts," the company said.

Earlier this week, Kaspersky identified the malware that took down computer systems worldwide and recommended that those affected not pay ransom.

Kaspersky Lab makes a decryption tool offered by the organization No More Ransom, a collaboration with Intel Security, the Netherlands' police cybercrime unit, and Europol's European Cybercrime Center.